Job Only Half Done - Bracewell
16 May 2014
John Bracewell praised Gloucestershire's bowling and fielding, while describing some of the batting as "reckless" in the 18-run NatWest T20 Blast defeat by Somerset at Bristol.
The Director of Cricket was more than satisfied at seeing his team restrict their arch-rivals to 156-8 from 20 overs after winning the toss on a warm evening.
James Fuller claimed 4-32, including the wicket of Marcus Trescothick with the first ball of the game, and Liam Norwell returned 2-27 as the bowlers were backed up by some excellent work in the field.
But a crowd of around 6,000 then saw Gloucestershire concede cheap wickets, with only Hamish Marshall (54) making much impression on the Somerset bowling attack as the hosts were bowled out for 138 in the 19th over of their reply.
John told this website: "We won one half of the game and lost the other. With our bowling and fielding we generally executed our skills well and when we came under pressure we hit back hard.
"There were some astute bowling changes and a commitment to the plan we had set. At the halfway point in the game I was really pleased.
"After that I was equally disappointed. It was easily a target that was gettable, but we gave wickets away and our batsmen have to start standing up and taking some responsibility.
"That applies in all forms of the game. Our batsmen are our senior players and all they had to do tonight was play sensibly because the rate needed wasn't that demanding.
"We got behind it because we were reckless. Somerset's total was below par for that pitch, which I felt was a 170 wicket. The outfield was superb, with a really small boundary at one end, and we should have scored the required runs."
Skipper Michael Klinger added: "The game was there to be won and, apart from Hamish Marshall, no batsman put his hand up to get us home.
"From an atmosphere perspective, the crowd was great and I thought Friday night cricket proved a great success.
"The problem will be gaining a bit of rhythm because we are going to be playing four-day cricket and then T20 pretty much non stop.
"The teams who adapt to that quickest will be the ones who succeed in the NatWest Blast."
For more details of the Somerset game click on Cricket and then Match Reports.
